SXSW: Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Wednesday, 11:30 p.m. @ Scoot Inn

It's fun watching people trying to dance to Unknown Mortal Orchestra's "Ffunny Friends". On its face, it's a track that's just funky enough to sound like you could dance to it. The result: A crowd of people awkwardly and rhythmically pumping their hands without fully committing. The song kicked off a fine if pedestrian set from UMO, whose Krautrock guitar sound paled in comparison to the two also-mellow sets that immediately preceded it: Mac DeMarco's and DIIV's. UMO's saving grace? They closed with a cover of Jay Reatard's "My Shadow". Even if their version lacked the vocal bite of Jay's original, it showed that these dudes benefit when they inject some muscle into their set.

The Jay Reatard connection: Current Wavves bassist and former Reatard bassist Stephen Pope was present

UMO hat status: Two backwards, one frontwards

Mosh pit activity: Not a lot.

Quote from UMO's Ruban Nielson that could apply to some of their set: "It's a shit show!"